Leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container ( 1000 ) comprising a box body ( 200 ) defining a storage cavity, a lid ( 400 ), a ring ( 600 ), and a locking mechanism ( 800 ). The lid ( 400 ) has a groove ( 410 ) arranged along edges ( 420 ) of the lid ( 400 ) and the ring ( 600 ) is disposed within the groove ( 410 ). The locking mechanism ( 800 ) is operationally coupled to the box body ( 200 ) and includes a plurality of flaps ( 810 ) and a band ( 820 ). The plurality of flaps ( 810 ) are hingedly connected to the edges ( 420 ) and the band ( 820 ) is arranged around a rim of the box body ( 200 ). Further, the plurality of flaps ( 810 ) snap-fits with the band ( 820 ) such that the lid ( 400 ) is securely fixed to the box body ( 200 ) and the ring ( 600 ) creates an air-tight seal between the lid ( 400 ) and the box body ( 200 ).

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the convention entry, which claims priority to and the benefit of Indian Patent Application No. 201821033330 filed with the Indian Patent Office on Sep. 5, 2018 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/785,130 filed with the US Patent Office on Dec. 26, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to household goods. More particularly, the present invention relates to a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container which facilitates protection of the food and beverages from deterioration in terms of quality and taste.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lunch boxes are important tableware or household goods which are commonly used in daily life. The lunch boxes are used for transporting variety of foods or meals including solid and liquid foods for consumption at worksite, school or on other outings away from a household kitchen or restaurant. Thus, the lunch boxes have become one of the daily necessities in daily life.

Every day millions of kids all over India rely on home cooked food when they go to school. Lunch is an important part of their diet and kids need nutritional healthy food to grow stronger and healthier. Same applies to people who take food from home when they go to work every day. Before the plastic industrial revolution, aluminum lunch boxes used to be the most common lunch boxes (dabba). Since, 1980 plastic became part of everyday use due to its affordability and ease of use. Growth of plastic consumption has increased exponentially in developed and developing nations. India ranks (12^(th)) in top 20 nations when it comes to use of plastic per capita. Out of 20 countries, 11 countries are located in Asia. There is no doubt that plastic has played a significant role in advancements in field of technology, medical, construction, transportation, industrial but a hefty cost for the usage of plastic is also being paid.

In 1950, world population of 2.5 billion produced 1.5 million tons of plastic. In 2018, the global population of more than 7 billion produced more than 320 million tons of plastic. This is set to double by 2031. Everyday 8 million tons of plastic find its way to ocean, rivers or lakes. Over the last 10 years, people have produced more plastic than during the whole of last century. 50% of plastic is used just once and thrown away and only 5% of total plastic produced in the world is recycled every year. Further, plastic pollution has caused adverse effects on marine life and scientists have started to see traces of plastic chemicals in humans all over world.

Some of the conventional structures of lunch boxes include a container for storing food therein and an attached hinged lid which covers lower portion of the container and secures the stored food. Other variants of the conventional lunch boxes include separate containers which nest inside a larger lunch box body and have independently closed lids which secure the food stored therein. Typically, the lunch boxes are manufactured with metals, glass or plastic materials. The glass lunch boxes are usually heavier and prone to breaking, but are nonetheless microwavable. Plastic offers many benefits as compared to metal when it comes to cost, look, aesthetics, light weight but plastic also has limitations. Other than major cause of pollution, plastic is not as strong as metal and has limited shelf life. This forces people to buy same plastic lunch boxes again and again every year.

Millions of plastic lunch boxes are used everyday but they don't last long and break very easily. These boxes are thrown in trash which end up in landfill and pollute out water streams. People have started to use more and more stainless steel bottles but usage of stainless steel lunch boxes has declined over last 20 years. Stainless steel is the most recycled material but its usage in lunch boxes has declined due to design and product features in current lunch boxes. Further, century old stainless steel lunch boxes (dabba) in India have significant disadvantages. Likewise, the lunch boxes made up of plastic materials gain attention due to good sealing performance or air tightness, being light weighted, easy to clean, ease for enhancing aesthetic appearance etc. However, the lunch boxes made up of plastic materials also bring certain disadvantages.

There are a number of problems associated with the conventional lunch boxes. Two major disadvantages in the conventional stainless steel lunch boxes are locking feature and leak-proof feature. These stainless steel lunch boxes have side locking clips which are made of metal. These clips are not strong and can bend, twist or break easily. This is a common problem as the locking clip comes out from its socket and then pliers are used to force these clips back in their socket. These clips are also made of thin metal frames which bend very easily. This causes misalignment between the clips and the lid and thus, sturdy box is no longer maintained. Further, commercially available stainless steel lunch boxes are made of 100% stainless steel or 100% aluminum. These lunch boxes are not leak-proof because they don't have any gasket which serves as air tight function. Due to this, these lunch boxes are kept in upright position when food is stored. This becomes a hassle during storage and transportation. Also, in the plastic lunch boxes, the lid is combined on the box body to seal and keep the food inside the box, but the food in the box body is directly in contact with the plastic material of the box body and the lid. Similarly, in other lunch boxes made up of metallic box body and plastic lids results in direct contact of food with the plastic lids which causes food contamination and at the same time the use of plastic is also not environmental friendly. In other words, food items placed therein which is in direct contact with the plastic box body or lids are frequently susceptible to deterioration and the sealing effect is also defective.

Therefore, in view of the above limitations of the conventional approaches, assemblies/lunch boxes and methods, there exists a need to develop an improved approach, assembly/leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container which would in turn address a variety of issues including, but not limited to, deterioration of the quality or taste of the food items while maintaining minimum contact with the plastic material and at the same time preventing food leakage. Moreover, it is desired to develop a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container with minimal plastic which has competitive advantage against all the conventional plastic and stainless steel lunch boxes. Further, the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container is sturdy and lasts for many years, dishwasher safe, BPA (bisphenol A) free (chemical related to some types of cancer), heavy metals free, phthalates free (chemical banned in many countries).

Thus, the above-described deficiencies of conventional approaches, assemblies/lunch boxes and methods thereof, are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional approaches and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with conventional approaches, assemblies/lunch boxes and their corresponding benefits of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein may become further apparent upon review of the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of the invention to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the present invention. It is not intended to identify the key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concept of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of the invention presented later.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container which prevents deterioration of the quality or taste of the food items while at the same time prevents food leakage. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container, in view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior-art, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container that is capable of including all advantages of the prior art and also overcomes the drawbacks inherent in the prior art offering some added advantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container with minimal plastic in order to maintain the quality or taste of the food items by maintaining minimum contact with the plastic material.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container which is sturdy, shock proof, dent proof and possess strong locking feature.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container which may be customized as per user's need or desire.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container which is dishwasher safe, BPA (bisphenol A) free, heavy metals free, phthalates free and may lasts for many years thereby, resulting in a cost-efficient product.

Accordingly, in an aspect, the present invention provides a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container comprising a box body, a lid, a ring and a locking mechanism. The box body is defining a storage cavity and the lid is having a groove arranged along edges of the lid. The ring is disposed within the groove of the lid and the locking mechanism is operationally coupled to the box body. Further, the locking mechanism has a plurality of flaps and a band. The plurality of flaps are hingedly connected to the edges of the lid and the band is arranged around a rim of the box body. Further, the plurality of flaps snap-fits with the band such that the lid is securely fixed to the box body. The ring creates an air-tight seal between the lid and the box body upon engagement of the plurality of flaps with the band.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, details the invention in different embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims that particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, it is believed that the advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description of expressly disclosed exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings and detailed description which follow are intended to be merely illustrative of the expressly disclosed exemplary embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front planar view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container wherein a back planar view is identical to the front planar view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a left planar view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container wherein a right planar view is identical to the left planar view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a top planar view of the lid of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom planar view of the lid of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container with a locking mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container with detachable plurality of flaps in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Call Out List

Leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container 200 Box body 400 Lid 410 groove 420 edges 430 inner surface 600 Ring 800 Locking mechanism 810 plurality of flaps 820 band

The exemplary embodiments described herein detail for illustrative purposes are subject to many variations in the structure and design. It should be emphasized, however, that the present invention is not limited to a particular leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container as shown and described herein. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but these are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

The use of terms “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

Further, the terms, “an” and “a” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

Referring to the drawings, the invention will now be described in more detail. A leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000), as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a box body (200), a lid (400), a ring (600) and a locking mechanism (800). The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) may be of various types including, but not limited to, nylon lunch boxes, stainless steel bento boxes, etc.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the box body (200) defines a storage cavity for storing food items or beverages therein. The box body (200) is closed from bottom end and open from top end thus forming the storage cavity. The box body (200) is made up of a material selected from, but not limited to, a group consisting of metal, alloy or glass. Preferably, the box body (200) is made up of stainless steel.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front planar view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) wherein a back planar view is identical to the front planar view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates a left planar view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) wherein a right planar view is identical to the left planar view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 illustrate a top planar view and a bottom planar view of the lid (400), respectively. The lid (400) has a groove (410) which is arranged along edges (420) of the lid (400). In particular, the groove (410) is arranged along the edges (420) of the lid (400) at an inner surface (430) of the lid (400), as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. Further, the lid (400) is made up of a metal or an alloy. Preferably, the lid (400) is made up of stainless steel.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the edges (420) of the lid (400) are configured to be covered with a plastic material through injection molding process. In particular, the edges (420) of the lid (400) are covered with the plastic material such that the substantial or maximum portion of the lid (400) is still constituted by the metal or the alloy. This configuration of the lid (400) being minimally covered with the plastic material allows the minimum contact of the food items or beverages placed within the box body (200) with the plastic material of the lid (400).

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the box body (200) and the lid (400) are made up of stainless steel present in a range of 20% to 98% by weight and plastic material present in a range of 2% to 80% by weight. Preferably, the box body (200) and the lid (400) are made up of stainless steel present in a range of 70% to 90% by weight and plastic material present in a range of 30% to 10% by weight.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) which shows the overall structure of leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The ring (600) is disposed within the groove (410) of the lid (400), as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In particular, the ring (600) is, but not limited to, a silicone gasket.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the locking mechanism (800) is operationally coupled to the box body (200). The locking mechanism (800) has a plurality of flaps (810) and a band (820), as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. Further, the enlarged view of the locking mechanism (800) is also shown in FIG. 7. The plurality of flaps (810) are hingedly connected to the edges (420) of the lid (400). Further, the band (820) is arranged around a rim of the box body (200). Furthermore, the plurality of flaps (810) and the band (820) are made up of a plastic material. Preferably, the band (820) is made up of polypropylene.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of flaps (810) snap-fits on an outer circumference of the band (820) such that the lid (400) is securely fixed to the box body (200), as shown in FIG. 7. The plurality of flaps (810) creates equal compression force from the edges (420) of the lid for locking of the plurality of flaps (810) with the band (820). This equal compression force protects the lid (400) in such a manner that the lid (400) does not get loose even if the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) is dropped on floor. Upon the locking or engagement of the plurality of flaps (810) with the band (820), the ring (600) creates an air-tight seal between the lid (400) and the box body (200) thus, making the portable food and beverage storage container (1000) leak-proof. In particular, silicone and polypropylene materials used in the ring (600) and the band (820) show similar behavior during thermal cycle which results in minimum or no gaps between the lid (400) and the box body (200) upon locking and makes the portable food and beverage storage container (1000) leak-proof over multiple years.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the engagement or locking of the lid (400) with the box body (200) through the locking or engagement of the plurality of flaps (810) with the band (820) ensures minimum contact of the food items or beverages placed within the box body (200) with the plastic material of the edges (420) of the lid (400) thereby, ensuring the quality and taste of the food items or beverages. Further, the air-tight seal formed between the lid (400) and the box body (200) prevents the leakage of the food items or beverages from the box body (200) and ensures that the food items or beverages are kept warm or hot for a long period of time depending on the type of food items or beverages placed inside the box body (200).

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of flaps (810) is detachable. In other words, each of the plurality of flaps (810) is configured to detach from the edges (420) of the lid (400), as shown in FIG. 8. In particular, the edges (420) of the lid (400) are configured to have hinges to which the plurality of flaps (810) may be coupled by way of, but not limited to, snap-fitting, as shown in the enlarged view ‘G’ in FIG. 8.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the lid (400) of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) may be provided without the plurality of flaps (810). Further, this lid (400) may be snap-fitted directly with the box body (200) of the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000).

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) may be customized in terms of shape, design, size etc. as per a user's requirement or desire.

Apart from what is disclosed above, the present invention also includes some additional benefits and advantages. Few of the additional benefits are mentioned below:

-   -   The present invention provides the leak-proof portable food and         beverage storage container with minimal plastic material which         prevents deterioration of the quality or taste of the food items         or beverages by maintaining minimum contact with the plastic         material.     -   The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container also         prevents leakage of the food items or beverages while at the         same time maintaining the quality and taste of the food items or         beverages.     -   The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container         which requires the reduced amount of plastic material for         manufacturing thus, reduces the disposal of plastic waste in the         environment.     -   The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container         involves detachable and replaceable plurality of flaps which         results in long term usage of the leak-proof portable food and         beverage storage container even upon breakage of the plurality         of flaps, thus resulting in a cost-efficient product.     -   The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container has         aesthetic appearance and may be customized as per the user's         need or desire.     -   Further, the leak-proof portable food and beverage storage         container is sturdy, shock proof, dent proof and possess strong         locking feature, dishwasher safe, BPA (bisphenol A) free, heavy         metals free, and phthalates free.

The foregoing descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions, substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention. 

1. A leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000), comprising: a box body (200) defining a storage cavity; a lid (400) having a groove (410) arranged along edges (420) of said lid (400); a ring (600) disposed within said groove (410) of said lid (400); and a locking mechanism (800) operationally coupled to said box body (200), said locking mechanism (800) having a plurality of flaps (810) hingedly connected to said edges (420) of said lid (400), and a band (820) arranged around a rim of said box body (200); wherein said plurality of flaps (810) snap-fits with said band (820) such that said lid (400) is securely fixed to said box body (200); wherein said ring (600) creates an air-tight seal between said lid (400) and said box body (200) upon engagement of said plurality of flaps (810) with said band (820).
 2. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said groove (410) is arranged along said edges (420) of said lid (400) at an inner surface (430) of said lid (400).
 3. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of flaps (810) is detachable.
 4. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ring (600) is a silicone gasket.
 5. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said band (820) and said plurality of flaps (810) are made up of a plastic material.
 6. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said box body (200) and said lid (400) are made up of a metal or an alloy.
 7. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said box body (200) and said lid (400) are made up of stainless steel.
 8. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said edges (420) of said lid (400) are configured to be covered with a plastic material through injection molding.
 9. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said box body (200) and said lid (400) are made up of stainless steel present in a range of 20% to 98% by weight and plastic material present in a range of 2% to 80% by weight.
 10. The leak-proof portable food and beverage storage container (1000) as claimed in claim 9, wherein said box body (200) and said lid (400) are made up of stainless steel present in a range of 70% to 90% by weight and plastic material present in a range of 30% to 10% by weight. 